Canada shatters gold-medal record

By STEVE SIMMONS, QMI Agency

VANCOUVER — The Canadian Olympic Committee will be $1.7 million poorer after the Olympic Games and couldn’t be happier about it.

The payoff comes for Canadian athletes who established a Winter Olympic record with 14 gold medals, the final one coming in the amazing gold-medal hockey game Sunday afternoon at GM Place.

In the end, the Canadian Olympians did manage to Own the Podium in terms of golds, and the COC brass that is paying athletes for gold, silver and bronze couldn’t have been happier about that.

The money being paid out to medal-winning Canadian athletes remains the same as it was for the 2006 Beijing Games -- $20,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze.

“It’s a lot of money, but money we enjoy handing out,” said Michael Chambers, the COC president. “Its not taxpayers’ money. It’s money from the private sector we set aside for this.”

The stunning second week of the Games rescued what seemed to be a difficult start for the entire Canadian team but the COC at the halfway point predicted a huge second week — and, as they say in figure skating, nailed it.

“We have turned a corner and must never look back,” said Marcel Aubut, the incoming president of the COC. “I am so proud of these athletes.”

Canada ended up with 26 medals, 14 gold, seven silver, five bronze: First in gold medals, third overall behind the United States (37) and Germany (30) in the total medal count. Canadian women won 14 of the medals, with Canadian men taking 11 and one mixed team earning the other.